Bottle-filling machine



Mar. 20, 1923.

1,449,019 L. L. STRASBURGER ET AL BOTTLE FILLINQ MACHINE Filed Sept. 12, 1931 2 sheets-sheet 1 .0? iii 2m Mar. 20, 1923.

L. L. STRASBURGER ET AL BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE Filed Sept. 12, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Mar. 20, 1923.

UNI-TEE, STA T'ESf A ENT Q fEtC-E- LEE L. STRASBURGER AND GEORGE W. GOODE, OF ATELANTA, GEORGIA BOTTLE-FILLING MACHINE.

Application filed September 12, 1921. Serial No, 5DQ,09,

T all whom it may concern:

Be it know ,that we, Len L. Srnessonone and GE R E Goons, citizens of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county 0? ..Fultjon and State of Georgia, have invented certain ew and useful Improvements in Bottle-Fi ling Machines, of which the following is a specification, refefence being had therein. to the accompanying drawing.

The, present invention relates to filling machines. operatingon the principle of the siphon, In, the operation of machines of thischaracter liquid is conveyed to a plurality of bottles, or other receptacles, by a ,series of siphon tubes, the {low of liquid being automatically started when the siphon tubes are. inserted in the bottles, or other receptacles, and ceasing when the level of the liquidinthe bottle or receptacle reaches the levelv qfthe liquid in. the reservoir. Bottlefilliirg machines of this general type are well known, and the object of the present inventioniste effect. certain improvements which will be fully described hereinafter and then z -particularly claimed.

Referringto the accompanying drawings, which, illustrate a, our improvements,

Fig. 1: is a trout elevation of the machine;

'23s asi e. levati n he f;

ig. 3 is' a fragmentary vertical section through the reservoir, or tank, showing the float. mechanism forautomatically maintainingthe level of. the liquid substantially con- Rig, Q is a. perspective view of the stand, or. frame, which supports the tank, and illustrates the bottle-holding shelf and connec ions for, operating the. same;

9 xi 5. isa detail view illustrating the universa supports. in which the siphon tubes are hung, an

Fig. 6, 1s, a view of the siphontube nozzle, Showing bisection, the slidable sleeve valve 5.41 dthe u [on between the nozzle and siphon tribe.

The machine comprises a tank, or reservoir, 1 rigidly supported on a stand 2. The stand, is preierably of metallic tubular construction. and of the, form clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, althoughit may be constructed of wood and have, any other suitable form, withoutdepartin from our invention. Tho tankis preferab y constructed of glass or rubber, having all joints filled \vitli pliable fillingmachine embodying .by acting as a valve to admit tail rubber to make, it liquid-tight and non-cor.-

roding.

Liquidisadmit into. the tank through the, connections an float valve, illustrated by Fig. 3. ,ral 3, in. this view, designates a pipe, or. ose, communicatin with the source of. liquid sn ply. Numera 4 desigzna'tes screw-t l1reade d fitting which passes through an aperture in the, tank and screws into pipe 3, anutfiandwasher 6 beingpro' vided to, efiect a tight joint. Eatin 4 pnssesthrough a central hole in a bar 8, and the lower endof said fitting has anintegral flan e 7 which is cla against the under sur ace of bar 8 when nut 5 15 tightened. A float 9,, of cork or other suitable material, has a transverse slot, adjacent. its upper end, and the slotted ends of a. paircf arms 10. are slidal ly and pivotally supported on a pin passin through said slotand fixed to the float, he outer ends of, arms 10 are pivoted betwcendepending, ears formed on the outer ends of bar 8Q The float is thus constrained to move vertically under varia tions of liquid level in the tank. The upper end of the float is tapered to t the tapered openingjn the lower end of ti tin 4, therestop the flow of liquid into the tank, and automatically maintaining the level of 'liquid substantially constant.

The siphon tubes through which 11. uid is conveyed'irom the tank to the bottes, or other receptacles, to be. filled are hung in universal supports mounted on a bar ll, which is attached to the ends of brackets 12 projecting upwardly and forwardly from the sides of the tank. The tubes comprise fiexibleportions 13 attached at their lower ends to short pipes which communicate with the interior of the tank, adjacent the bottom thereof. and attached at their upper ends to elbow pipes 1A. The latter pass, through apertures in discs 15, which are pivoted to the depending heads of bolts 16. Bolts 16 are swivelled in rod 11, and are provided with threaded upper ends on which are screwed nuts 17. This construction provides a simple and eliicient universal support for the siphon tubes, facilitating their manipulation and permitting them to be readily disconnect-ed from bar ll whenever it becomes necessary to refill the tubes to start the siphoning action. The outer ends of elbow pipes 14 are connected by means annular shoulder of the nozzle.

of unions with nozzles 16, each of which has a head .l'I and an orifice18adjacent the head. A sleeve 19, Sliding on the nozzle, is adapted to cover the orifice normally and thereby prevent the flow of liquid, but when a nozzle is inserted in a bottle and the bot tle raised, a flange 19' on the upper end of the sleeve engages with the bottle top and the sleeve is moved upwardly until said flange comes into engagement with the union, thereb'y uncovering the orifice and permitting the flow of liquid until the level of liguid in the bottle reaches the level of liqui in the tank, whereupon the flow ceases. As plainly shown in Fig. 6, the nozzle 16 has a reduced upper portion which forms at its junction with the enlarged lower portion an annular shoulder which is adapted to contact with the inwardly projecting annu- Tar flange of sleeve 19. The nozzle has a second annular shoulder at the point of junction between the enlarged portion and head 17, and the parts are so proportioned that the sleeve 19 will just rest on this second shoulder when said sleeve is at its lowest position, the sleeve bein stopped in its downward movement by the engagement of its inwardly projecting flange with the upper This construction eliminates wear on the lower end of the sleeve and prevents the sleeve from striking and injuringthe head 17.

A shelf 20 is located at the front 'of the machine directly under the siphon tubes and functions to support the bottles and bring them into correct position for filling. This shelf has a marginal vertical flange which is continuous except for a ga at one end of the shelf, whereby the bott es are properly maintained on the shelf and any liquid overflow vis directed to a definite point where it may be caught in a suitable receptacle. The shelf has attached to the bottom thereof a pair of rearwardl extending arms 21 which are rigidly secured to a shaft 22 journalled in the side bars 23 of the stand. The rear end of each arm 21 is connected to the upper end of, a coil spring 24, the lower end of which is attached to the side bar 25 of the stand. The shelf is therefore biased to move upwardly by the springs. For moving the shelf down against the tension of the springs, there is provided a treadlebar 26, having its rear end universally pivoted in a bracket 27 attached to a frame bar 28 and terminating at its front end in a treadle 29. A bar 30 is pivoted at its lower end to treadle bar 26 and is pivoted at its upper end to a bar 30. The front end of bar 30 is fixed to the un derside of the table while the rear end thereof is journalled on shaft 22. For guidinp the treadle bar 96 and holding it in a pin rality of positions. there is provided a pair of spaced brackets 31 and 32, which depend from the longitudinal frame bar 33, the

treadle bar projecting through the slot formed by ofiposiing edges" of; the brackets and being t ereby guided in its vertical movements. A plurality of teeth are formed on the edge of bracket 32-, whereby-[when the treadle has been operated to the desired position. it may be held in such position by moving it laterally into the space between adjacent teeth. As an auxiliary means for holding the shelf against downward movement, we provide a resilient strip 34 fixed centrally to the inner edge ofthe shelf with its free ends adapted to engage ratchet teeth 35 which are formed vertical frame bars 36. To permit the table to be lowered springs 34 are retracted man ially from the ratphet teeth.

on or attached to the The operation of the machine may 'be briefly described as follows; Assuming the shelf 20 in lower position and held in such position by engagement of'the treadle bar with the lower teeth on bracket 32, the operator places a number of empty'bottlesoh the shelf and manually directs zle into the disengages the treadle from the bracket teeth and permits the springs 24 to move the shelf 'a siphon nbz' mouth of each bottlewHe'tlien upward to the required position, whereupon he engages the treadle bar with theteeth in order to hold the shelfdn siich *position. The bottles upon bein' raised with the shelf engage the flanges of sleeve valves 19, raising said sleeve valves untifstofiped by engagement thereof with unidnsl5' raising of the sleeve valves uncovers orifices" 18 and causes the liquid to flow into the bottles until the latter'are filled, w ereu on the How of liquid automatically ceases." to be particularly noted that it is the ejngagement of sleeve valves 19 with unions which determines the hei' ht to which-the shelf is to be raised in 0rd plete filling of the bottles tacles: the lower the bottle,

the higher the shelf; and. conversely, the higher the bottle Pfi i i. ularly adapted for filling bottles of differ-Y the lower the shelf. Our machine is or to effect 'c'oni bracket or other ireceir cnt heights, since it has means fol holdin the shelf at a plurality of elevations an means for automatically determining ;tlie elevation required for a particular height of bottle.

it is not necessary to operate the shelf while filling bottles of thesa' e; liei'ht,"

since the flexible mounting of the sip on tubes permits the filled bottles to be with drawn very readily from the nozzles and the substitution therefor of .empty bottles. \Vhen. however. it is desired to fill bottles bf a different height the operator manually disengages the ends of spring strip 34 fiiom ratchet teeth 35 and treadle bar 26 from the rack t eth. whereupon the shelf is lowered. V

the filled bottles removed and empty bottles of a different height placed on the shelf.

The shelf is then permitted to rise under tension of the springs until the flanges of nozzles 19 come into engagement with unions 15, thus automatically determining the proper elevation of the table for the particular height of bottle.

It might happen, particularly in filling extra large bottles, that the shelf would become so heavily loaded as to overcome the tension of springs 24. Under this condition, if the treadle bar should in accidentally disengaged from its holding rack, the shelf with its load of bottles would fall with consequent breakage. It is to eliminate the possibility of an accident of this sort that we provide the holding means consisting of flexible strip 34 and coacting ratchet. teeth 35.

Having particularly described a machine embodying our improvements, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A filling machine comprising a stand, a tank supported thereon, a plurality of si phon tubes communicating with said tank and supported forwardly thereof, a shelf pivoted on said stand and normally biased to move upwardly beneath said tubes, a treadle connected with said shelf. a rack on said stand for holding said treadle in :1 pl 11- rality of positions, and a ratchet for preventing downward movement of the shelf.

2. A filling machine comprising a. stand. a tank supported thereon, a plurality of si phon tubes communicating with said tank. a shelf pivoted on said stand and biased to more upwardly beneath said tubes, a treadle connected with said shelf, a rack on said stand for holding said treadle in a plurality of positions, a spring strip secured centrally to the inner edge of said shelf and ratchet teeth on said stand adapted to be engaged by the free ends of said strip.

3. A filling machine comprising a stand, a tank supported thereon, a rod supported above and forwardly of said tank, a plurality of siphon tubes communicating with said tank and universally supported at spaced intervals on said rod, a horizontal shelf pivotally supported on said stand and extending beneath said tubes, spring means tending to move said shelf upwardly, a

treadle connected with said shelf, and a rack on said stand adapted to be engaged by said treadle.

4. In a bottle-filling machine, a tank, a siphon tube communicating therewith, a support extending forwardly of said tank, a bolt swivelled in said support having an upper threaded end and a nut thereon, an apertured member pivoted to the lower end of said bolt, said siphon tube having an elbow passing loosely through the aperture of said member.

5. In a. bottle filling machine, a tank, a. siphon tube communicating therewith, said tube including an elbow, a support extending forwardly of said tank, a bolt swivelled in said support having an upper threaded end and a nut thereon, a member pivoted to the lower end of said bolt and loosely engaging the elbow of said tube.

6, In a bottle filling machine, a tank, a siphon tube communicating therewith and supported forwardly thereof, said tube including an elbow, a nozzle and a union connecting said elbow and nozzle, said nozzle comprising a head, a lower portion of smaller diameter than the head and an upper portion of smaller diameter than said lower portion. said nozzle having a lateral opening adjacent its head, and. a sleeve slidable on said nozzle and normally covering the orifice thereof, said sleeve having an inwardly projecting annular flange adapted to contact in its, lower position the annular shoulder formed at the junction of said upper and lower portions.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix ouf signatures.

LEE L. STRASBURGER. GEORGE W. GOODE. 

